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LED bulb swap

2K views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  03GXEDD 
#1 ·
I did a quick search on the almighty Google for swapping out the lights (all but head lights and fog lights) to their much cooler and lower power consumption LED equivalent. I was able to find much of the information fairly easily however the whole blinker/turn signal modification was not as easily found and thus I have decided to make it much easier for everyone else. First and foremost, it's always best to use the same color LED as the lens. Although this is not required, it's a generally accepted theory that using the same color as the lens will make the bulb appear brighter since less of the light being produced by the bulb is being filtered out by the lens. Whether this is true or not, I don't really care. I just bought the appropriate color. We don't have to have arguments on whether this theory is correct or not, just buy which ever LED color you want-I'm just telling you what I did based on the research I did. Secondly, brightness of the LED is a huge concern. You want to make sure the LED is bright enough compared to the stock class bulb you are replacing. That being said, LEDs are measured in lumens and incandescent bulbs you are replacing are measured in watts. Not only that, LEDs tend to be directional while incandescent bulbs tend to throw light in all directions making it easier for the reflectors to capture and project that light in the direction Nissan intended. Keep that in mind as you look at the LED light pattern and the location of the bulb you are replacing. Also, keep in mind legality of the color bulb. For example, on my tail lights I have a clear strip for the turn signal. Federal law requires rear turn signals to be either amber or red. If I put a white bulb in that socket, I could get a ticket for having the wrong color bulb. Same for the front marker/turn signal lights.

Some helpful conversions for you:
5w=75 lumens
15w=200-250 lumens
40w=400-600 lumens

For the exterior lights:
Front: There are only two lights to change which are the parking/turn signal lights. These are Bulb 3157

Rear:
Brake light/tail light Bulb 1157
High Mount Stop/Third Stop Bulb 921
Blinker/Turn Signal Bulb 1156
Reverse Bulb 921
License Plate Bulb 194

Interior
Map DE3175
Dome DE3175
Trunk 194

Lastly, if you are replacing the blinkers with LEDs this will cause the flasher speed to blink very fast. This is because the load sensed by the flasher is about 1/4 the value using LED lights than their incandescent counter parts which makes the flasher think a bulb is burnt out and therefore the fast flash is to notify the driver. There are two fixes to this problem. One is to use load resisters which to me is foolish because part of the reason one would switch to LEDs is to lower the load on the electrical system. Why add resistance if I'm trying to take it away with LEDs in the first place? I'd be better off just using the standard incandescent bulb. The second, and in my option, the better solution is to replace the flasher. Go to your favorite auto parts store or online dealer and buy the Tridon/Novita EP34 flasher unit (or equivalent). This is an electric flasher compatible with LEDs. It'll run you $12.00 and after spending $100 on light bulbs, what's an extra $12.00? I will post pictures of it's location shortly.
 
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